The Black Horse Inn, Chesham

In the sticks on the northern road out of Chesham, this is a pleasant country pub that's had a bit of a spruce-up inside to cater for its dry trade-led focus, but has retained its attractive interior trappings such as the inglenook alcove to the left on entry which houses two small tables and chairs and two low original support beams with requisite leather padding and "mind your head" signs. With a gravelled car park to its left, the pub has a front entrance via some paving flanked by more gravel and a couple of pub benches. Entry into a bare-boarded room sees the bar against the right-hand wall with the previously mentioned alcove to the left, with an area to the left which wraps back around and behind the alcove and which is carpeted with tables and chairs for dining (some tables were marked 'reserved'). One of the walls also had the unfortunate words 'Prosecco Corner' painted on. Beyond the bar and beyond one of the low support beams is a higher-ceilinged area with rendered walls which had two long tables on either side occupied by a large party of diners. Through this room is access to a generous beer garden which was well-populated on a late May weeknight. On to the ales: CW Eagle IPA, Bombardier and Vale Red Kite chalked onto slate blocks stuck to each pump. The Vale was undrinkable and was replaced without fuss and the Bombardier as replacement was as good as you could expect it to be. The be-aproned staff were polite and attentive and although no world-beater, it's definitely worthy of inclusion in any Chesham crawl.

Official site of The Black Horse - theblackhorsechesham.co.uk

Official site of The Black Horse - theblackhorsechesham.co.uk